The Photo-Journalist and the Changing News Image

Abstract

Despite the many arguments which imply a fallibility inherent in the information contained within a photograph there is a tendency for audiences to treat the photographic still as a witness and the reputation of the press image is dependent on this. There has been a widespread integration of computer technology into newspaper production over the last 10 years and this has led to the production of images through qualitatively different production techniques. This article will examine, through fieldwork, the practices of photographic journalism, the transformation of picture desks into electronic environments for image control and the perception of picture producers as to the feasibility of enhancing the aesthetic quality of a photograph without tampering with its other qualities.